If you were hoping to dip into the Endeavour Fund for financial help with your research project, bad news: there will be no invitation for applications for the 2026 round.
The halt to calling for new applications is intended to allow the science system reforms to be implemented.
The Fund supports researchers “to tackle supports excellent research that pushes boundaries and deliver results to positively transform New Zealand’s economy, environment, and society. The Fund uses an open, contestable mechanism to select excellent research proposals that will support groundbreaking research and provide the highest potential impacts to drive positive change across New Zealand.
But the ministry is advising that – to support a smooth transition and provide certainty to New Zealand’s science organisations during the transition to the science, innovation and technology system of the future – “the decision has been made to not invite applications for the 2026 round of the Endeavour Fund”.
The identify of whoever made the decision is not provided in the ministry’s advice, which says:
“To reduce the operational burden of applying for funding while Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) transition into new merged entities, the Endeavour Fund will not be inviting applications to the 2026 round. Funding will instead be directed to support eligible contracts that would otherwise be coming to an end.
“This will allow them to continue scientific activity, increase impact and retain core science capability.
“This will provide certainty for the broader science, innovation and technology sector as the science reforms are implemented.”
“Contracts eligible for extension will be assessed to ensure that they align with government priorities and represent good use of taxpayer money. The Science Board will make the final decision about individual contract extensions.”
MBIE says it will work with Science New Zealand, Universities New Zealand and the Independent Research Association of New Zealand (IRANZ) “to ensure this is done fairly and equitably with minimum compliance costs”.
This is not the first time applications have been paused to large contestable funding rounds during transitional periods. The contestable funding round managed by the Foundation of Research, Science, and Technology (FRST) was cancelled and contracts scheduled to end were extended with funding for one year when the Ministry of Science and Innovation was established.
The 2025 round will complete as planned and as described in the Gazette Notice.
“We expect that a contestable round will be undertaken in 2027 subject to further work as part of the science reforms.
“Endeavour funding will continue to be invested in excellent science with the potential to positively impact New Zealand’s economy, environment and society.”
Further information, including the maximum available funding to be reinvested into existing Endeavour Fund contracts and any eligibility requirements for continued funding, will be published in a future Gazette Notice.
Source: MBIE
